Arthur wilzin



(No Model.)

A. WILZIN.

POCKET KNIFE. No. 400,987.

Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

aO//o MJ. AEM

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR WILZIN,-OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,987, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed September 10, 1888. Serial No. 285,036. (No model.) I

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ARTHUR WILZIN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented .a new and Improv ed Pocket-Knife, of which the following is a full and exact description.

This invention relates to pocket-knives, and has for its object to provide a pocket-knife so constructed that the blades may be moved into position to be seized by the iingers without the use of the finger-nails, thereby permitting the blades to be more readily opened and avoiding breaking of the finger-nails.

The invention consists in a pocket-knife constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

lFigure 1 is a side view of a knife constructed in accordance with this invention, with the covering and lining of one side-removed, the heads or thick portions of the locking-pins broken off, and showing one blade open and the other blade closed. Fig. 2 is a view of the back of the knife with the spring removed, and showing both coverings and linings in longitudinal section on a plane indicated by broken line A B in Fig. 1. The position of the blades in Fig. 2 is the saine as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view thereof with part of the covering and lining of one side removed, and showing one blade closed, the other thrown partly open in position to be entirely opened. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, showing the other side of the knife. Fig. 5 shows a back view and a side view of the locking device.

In the construction of this invention the knife, in its general features, is made similarly to the ordinary pocket-knife. That portion of the spring 1, however, which is contiguous to part 2 of t-he pivotal portion 3 of the blade 4 when the blade is in its closed position is formed with a projection, 5. The relative position of this projection 5 to the pivotal point 6 of the blade is such that the projection 5 and the end 7 of blade-spring 1, by bearing against the pivotal portion 3 of the blade, will hold the blade partly open, as shown in Fig. 3. With this construction, when the blade 4 is pressed into the handle and is in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the projection 5 of spring 1 bears with slight tension against part 2 of pivotal portion 3 of the blade. To hold the blade in this closed position, a locking device is provided, which at the same time keeps the pivotal portion of the blade in rear of its pivotal point normally out of contact with the knife-spring.

The form of locking device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, consists of a pin, 8, fastened to thek under side of knob 9, forming the end of a spring-arm, 10. This spring-arm 1'0 is secured to the lining 11 with its other end, but in such a manner as to permit of the free lengthwise movement of that end of the springarm 10. A'recess, 13, is cut in the bone or ivory covering 14 of the knife. In this recess 13 the spring-arm l() is movable. The knob 9, forming the free end of this spring-arm, projects slightly through the covering 14, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. `VVhen the blade is pressed back into its closed position, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the tension of spring 10 causes pin 3 to enter the opening 15 in the pivotal portion 3 of the blade, thus locking the blade in its closed position. The pin 8 is guided and steadied in the lining 12 and the covering 17, and has a thin portion, 16, so proportioned as to clear the parts surrounding opening 15 and to offer no obstruction to the free movement of the blade.

To open the blade, pressure is applied to the knob 9, pressing the thick portion of pin 8 into the lining 12 and the covering 17. The pin 8 having thus been moved from out the opening 15 in pivotal portion 3 of the blade, the tension of spring 1, bearing through its projection 5 against part 2 of pivotal portion 3 of blade, causes the blade to be partly thrown open and the portion in rear of its pivotal point to be brought against the end 7 of spring 1, as shown in Fig. 3. The blade 4 may then be seized with the fingers and pulled to fully-open position, as shown in Fig. 1. In this position the thick part of pin 8 rests against the side of the pivotal portion of the blade, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the blade being closed the pin 3 will spring into the opening 15 of the pivotal portion 3 by the action of the spring-arm 10. It is obvious that a laterally-movable arm may be employed instead of spring-arm 10 and be moved back and IOO forth by the lingers. A springarm is, however, preferably employed.

By means of this invention the blades of pocket-knives may be readily opened without using the finger-nails, thereby permitting pocket-knives to be used by ladies and others having thin or pointed and dressed lingernails and avoiding breaking the finger-nails Vhile I have set forth a specific construc` tion of parts, I do not intend to limit myself thereto, as they may be varied in many ways, especially with reference to the locking device, without departing from the essential features of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pocket-knife comprising a handle, a blade with the usual shouldered heel to engage the back-spring when the blade is fully opened and be locked thereby, and a backfspring of the full regular length and with the usual straight end, but diifering from the ordinary back-spring in having its inner edge formed with a projection bearing against the heel portion of the blade when closed on the edge adjacent to the knife-edge and forward of the pivotal point of the blade, for the purpose of holding the blade normally partially open or projected, in combination with alocking device engaging the blade when fully closed and holding its portion in rear of its pivotal point out of contact with the knife-spring, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a pocket-knife, a spring in back of the blades, of the full regular length and with the usual straight end, but differing from the ordinary back-spring in having its inner edge formed with a projection adapted to bear against the heel portion of the blade when closed on the edge adjacent to the knife-edge and forward of the pivotal point of the blade, substantially as shown and described.

3. A pocket-knife constructed with a spring in back of the blades, with the usual straight end, having its inner edge formed with a projection bearing against the pivotal portion of the knife-blade on the edge adjacent to the knife-edge and forward of the pivotal point of the blade, in combination with a spring-actuated locking device for the same blade mounted on the knife-handle and eX- tending into a recess in the knife-blade, substantially as shown and described.

4. A pocket-knife constructed with aspring in back of the blades, with the usual straight end, having its inner edge formed with a proj ection bearing against the pivotal portion of the knife-blade on the edge adjacent to the knifeedge and forward of the pivotal point of the' blade, in combination with a locking device for the same blade mounted on the knife-handle and extending into a recess in the knife-blade, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a pocket-knife, a spring-arm formed at its free outer end with a knob projcctin g through the covering, and with a lateral extension projecting through the linings and engaging the knife-blade and locking it in its closed position from the side opposite to the one on which the knob is located, substantially as shown and described.

ARTHUR NVILZIN. "Witnesses:

Louis STEINBERGER, FREDK. C. FLADD. 

